


A Simple Errand

by musicaldaydreamer



Category: Dappervolk (Website)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Fluff, Gen, Pets Being Cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-10
Updated: 2019-02-10
Packaged: 2019-10-25 08:26:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,228
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17721668
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/musicaldaydreamer/pseuds/musicaldaydreamer
Summary: A worldhopper goes on an errand to Three's Forest for the Old Farmhand, but it doesn't go as planned.(Please note that this story contains spoilers for the Dappervolk sidequests "Farmhand's Lost Treasure" and "A Familiar Farm Companion" so please avoid it if you haven't done those!)





	A Simple Errand

It took you all day, but you finally got the Old Farmhand's artifact.

You needed a lot of cunning and determination to deal with the witches, and on the way back you accidentally startled a sprite so Irin made you go find it a treat to calm it down. In the end it's past dusk when you emerge from the darker parts of the forest, artifact in hand and turnipling frolicking at your heels, so you decide to spend the night in the forest before heading back to Louise Hill.

The night is cool but pleasant, and you build a small fire and get out some conecakes to share with your pet. You worry at first that the flames will attract attention from some of the forest's wilder denizens, but either they don't notice or don't particularly care. You tell your pet stories, tall tales you've imagined about where you might have come from. In turn, the little turnipling tells a story of its own, acting out something it almost certainly heard from Barclay; it repeatedly pretends to attack and defend from a nearby rock, and ends by tossing a stick at it and posing heroically. When you're both tired you curl up together on a patch of grass, belongings protected between you, and fall asleep.

 

When you wake up the next morning, your pet has left your side, and you wonder briefly if it wanted a snack. Your bag is lying open some distance away. But then you catch sight of your pet, and your relief at its presence is cut short when you realize: something has gone very, very wrong. In desperation you check your bag, but the Old Farmhand's artifact is nowhere to be found. Nor is it on the ground, anywhere around you.

But the creature your pet is currently sniffing at looks- _feels-_ awfully familiar.

You approach, and the being makes no attempt to wander away. It is small, about half as tall as your turnipling, and resembles an owl covered in soft, silvery feathers that shine like the moon. It hops toward you, and you can see it- right on its stomach, slightly larger than before but just as incomprehensible. The Farmhand's artifact.

You're not sure, but you think the best word to use here is “Oops.”

The little owl seems as interested in you as your turnipling is in it, and flutters closer to you. Its wings are beautiful- silver on the outside like the rest of its body, but silvery blue on the undersides, twinkling like an early dawn. As it gets closer you see the dials on its belly start spinning, and it lets out a happy whistle. You reach out to stroke its head. Your turnipling, clearly offended that the creature flew off while it was sniffing it, scampers over and rubs up against you. The owl lands on its back.  Your turnipling looks up at you and grumbles, but allows the silver owl to remain there- until you give it a scratch, in its favourite place under its chin, and the croon it lets out startles the silver owl away from its perch. 

Eventually you decide you'd better get back and face the music, so you gather up your bag and head back toward Louise Hill. You hold out an arm and offer the little bird a ride, but it seems happy to follow you on its own, and flies along a little above your head. You watch fondly as your turnipling chases after the shadow it casts as it flies, and noticing this, it flies in more spiralling patterns. By the time you reach Louise Hill, you've almost forgotten that your new pet was supposed to be returned to its owner as an inanimate artifact.  
  


Almost.

 

Your nerves catch up with you as you approach the Farmhand's spot. You slow down and take a few deep breaths, and are just about ready to finish the journey when the little owl takes matters into its own wings. Abruptly it stops playing with your turnipling, lets out a whistle, and flies intently toward the Farmhand, who’s dozing on the porch. You run to catch up with it, and the old man stirs awake.

“Oh, hello, youngster. Always so considerate, checking in on an old man. Have you found what I lost?” He smiles, but it doesn't last. The silver owl flaps down in front of his face and lets out a long, low whistle. “Have you got a new- what… is this…” His eyes trail down to the bird's stomach as it lands. Then up to you. “Worldhopper, what happened?”

You briefly consider lying, saying that the witches did something to the artifact, but it's a fleeting thought. So you admit to what happened, telling the Old Farmhand that it was an accident but you should have been more careful in carrying his property. You tell him the whole story, from arriving in Three's Forest to when you woke up and realized what had happened.

The Old Farmhand listens intently, occasionally glancing down at the shining pet beside him. When you finish, he looks at you seriously.

“Thank you for your honesty, worldhopper. This… was unexpected, but not _entirely_ your fault. I fully believed that your animation magic would not work on it. Do me a favor and pick up that pet?”

You obey, and the owl snuggles into your arms without complaint. The Farmhand nods in satisfaction, and sighs.

“Very well. Do you think this pet would mind terribly if I took care of it? I think-” His words were cut off by the owl's happy whistle, and it hops out of your arms and snuggles up to his robes. Somewhat taken aback, the Old Farmhand looks down at it as you smile, and assure him the little bird has already taken to him. After a moment he looks up at you again seriously.

“Well then. Worldhopper, let this be a lesson to you to be _much more_ careful with your animation, in future. Perhaps keep from touching things in your sleep if they’re important.” You quickly promise that you will, and he smiles. “As it happens, my artifact seems to have retained its abilities even through animation. Most interesting.” The little owl has resumed playing with your turnipling, and the two of you watch them for a minute.

Eventually, you ask about the artifact. The Farmhand nods.

“I know I've assured you before that I am not a wizard, but that.. _may_ not always have been true. In my youth, I did dabble in a bit of light magic. I got to be quite good at it, if I may say as much, and that is when I came upon this artifact.” His eyes sparkle as he watches the pets play. “Eventually I decided to leave my past behind and return to a simpler way of life, in the hopes of regaining the same joy magic once brought me. But I admit, the life of a farmhand has been a bit lonely.” He smiles again. “Perhaps this is what I needed,”

You smile warmly, and ask if he has any idea what he might name his new friend.

“Wander, I think,” he replies. “It seems as curious as I, in my youth.”

 

You smile. Somehow you think these two are going to get along just fine.


End file.
